WADA Warns Against Jailing Doping Cheats as Ethiopian Faces SentenceFebruary 12, 2017 Little Known Ethiopian Marathoner Girmay Birhanu To Be First Athlete Jailed for Positive Doping ResultBy Adam Kopet, DyeStat EditorUnder the leadership of two-time Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia has criminalized the use of drugs for athletic enhancement. Those new laws are now being put to the test as the first athlete is set to be jailed for a doping offense.Girmay Birhanu, a little known marathoner, will be the first athlete to face consequences under the new law. According to the Sydney Morning Harold, Birhanu has tested positive for meldonium from an out-of-competition test. In addition to a ban from the sport, he faces up to three years in prison.Meldonium was first added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned substance list in 2016. Its addition came under fire in the first few months of 2016 when WADA admitted how they were unsure how long meldonium stayed in the body after use, making it possible to have followed the rules, but still test positive months later.

Other athletes to be caught using meldonium include Sweden's Abeba Aregawi, the 2013 World 1,500-meter champion, and Russian tennis star, Maria Sharapova. Sharapova will be eligible to return to action in April after a 15-month ban.The 30-year-old Birhanu set a personal best at the Dubai Marathon in 2014 with a time of 2:05:49. If he serves all three years of his prison term, his running career will likely be over.There is still a great deal of debate to take place about criminalizing doping. The pro-criminalization camp argues that doping is a form of fraud and should thus be punished accordingly.Ross Tucker, writing for Business Live, believes three-year prison sentences go too far in punishing athletes, especially if the coaches, managers and doctors who hand out the drugs go unpunished.Italy, France, Spain, Austria and Germany all have some kind of anti-doping laws, although the severity of punishment varies from country to country. Germany has introduced legislation that would be similar to Ethiopia's new law.

Posted by: ecadforum August 4, 2017Guardian investigation shows how easy it is to obtain doping products, uncovers disorganisation at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency and catches leading athlete admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugsThe Guardian was able to purchase EPO at this chemist close to the national stadium in Addis Ababa. No questions were asked. Photograph: ARD(The Guardian) — Inside Ethiopia’s flagship stadium, the bleachers are painted the green, yellow and red of the flag. The country’s best athletes have converged in Addis Ababa for the national championships while the great and good of Ethiopian sport gather trackside in matching beige suits and white baseball caps.Haile Gebrselassie is among them, handing out medals in his capacity as the president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation. He receives a louder cheer than anyone when introduced by the stadium announcer. Two Olympic and four world 10,000m titles mark him out as one of the greatest distance runners of all time and the most famous man in Ethiopia, where athletics is the national sport. His reputation has helped build an enviable property and business portfolio, making him a wealthy man.At one end of the stadium a billboard pictures other distance running greats Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba and Almaz Ayana, whose extraordinary 10,000m world record at the Rio Olympics last summer was greeted with disbelief in some quarters. Beneath them, in bold writing, is the statement: “It is possible to be the best without doping.”However a joint investigation by the Guardian, the German broadcaster ARD and Holland Media Combination suggests that may not be true in every case. It shows how easy it is to obtain doping products in the country and there emerges a prevailing sense of disorganisation at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency, which is charged with testing athletes. A hugely successful Ethiopian athlete is also caught on undercover film, seeking a new doping programme and admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugs before claiming one of her biggest titles.The findings may raise concern for British Athletics, which holds annual high-altitude training camps in Ethiopia for top athletes, including Mo Farah, who is attempting to do the distance double for a third time at the world championships in London, which begin on Friday.Outside the national stadium, two girls sell cobs of corn and coffee beans from colourful mats on the ground. But during the week of the Ethiopian championships, the blood-boosting drug EPO could be bought freely from a pharmacy just over the road. It is a popular drug, particularly among athletes and cyclists looking to gain an illegal edge by enhancing their endurance levels.A sign for the Gishen pharmacy is broken at one edge but potted plants decorate the doorway and it is clean inside. First, a reporter from the Guardian asks for something to treat anaemia, suggesting EPO as a possible medicine. A female pharmacist disappears into a back room briefly and delves into a fridge, returning with a cardboard box filled with dozens of phials of EPO stacked one on top of the other. She asks nonchalantly how many are required and three were bought for 810 Ethiopian birr (around £26) in cash.The same reporter returned a second time only 13 minutes later, buying a further two phials of EPO, a toothbrush and a tube of mosquito repellent from a different pharmacist. A different reporter then entered the pharmacy and bought four phials of EPO from a third person. A male pharmacist admitted he knew of the performance-enhancing benefits of EPO and had sold it to athletes. “Sometimes, yes,” he giggled.

WADA Warns Against Jailing Doping Cheats as Ethiopian Faces SentenceFebruary 12, 2017 Little Known Ethiopian Marathoner Girmay Birhanu To Be First Athlete Jailed for Positive Doping ResultBy Adam Kopet, DyeStat EditorUnder the leadership of two-time Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia has criminalized the use of drugs for athletic enhancement. Those new laws are now being put to the test as the first athlete is set to be jailed for a doping offense.Girmay Birhanu, a little known marathoner, will be the first athlete to face consequences under the new law. According to the Sydney Morning Harold, Birhanu has tested positive for meldonium from an out-of-competition test. In addition to a ban from the sport, he faces up to three years in prison.Meldonium was first added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned substance list in 2016. Its addition came under fire in the first few months of 2016 when WADA admitted how they were unsure how long meldonium stayed in the body after use, making it possible to have followed the rules, but still test positive months later.

Other athletes to be caught using meldonium include Sweden's Abeba Aregawi, the 2013 World 1,500-meter champion, and Russian tennis star, Maria Sharapova. Sharapova will be eligible to return to action in April after a 15-month ban.The 30-year-old Birhanu set a personal best at the Dubai Marathon in 2014 with a time of 2:05:49. If he serves all three years of his prison term, his running career will likely be over.There is still a great deal of debate to take place about criminalizing doping. The pro-criminalization camp argues that doping is a form of fraud and should thus be punished accordingly.Ross Tucker, writing for Business Live, believes three-year prison sentences go too far in punishing athletes, especially if the coaches, managers and doctors who hand out the drugs go unpunished.Italy, France, Spain, Austria and Germany all have some kind of anti-doping laws, although the severity of punishment varies from country to country. Germany has introduced legislation that would be similar to Ethiopia's new law.

ሃይል ሰጭ መድሃኒት በይፋ የመቸብቸቡን ሪፖርት ወያኔ እንደተለመደው አስተባበለ፡፡ይህን ከፋ በደል በጥምር የካዱት የወያኔ የአትሌቲክስና መድሃኒት ቤቱ መሆናቸው ሲታወቅ ይህ ህገወጥ ሃይል ሰጭ በየመድሃኒት ቤቶቹ በቀላሉ ለፈላጊ እንደሚቸበቸብ የጀርመንና የሆላንድ ሚዲያዎች አረጋግጠዋል፡፡ የዜናው ዘጋቢ ተአማኒው ሪፖርተር ተባለው የእንግሊዝ መገናኛ ብዙሃን ላይ ቀጥሎ ይነበባል፡፡Ethiopia downplays doping problems By The Reporter April 14, 2017Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) and Gishen Pharmacy downplayed a recent report by the British newspaper The Guardian entitled “Inside the doping hotspot of Ethiopia dodgy testing and EPO over the counter” which was based on its recent investigation that revealed “how easy it is to obtain doping products, uncovers disorganization at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency and catches leading Ethiopian athlete admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugs”. In the wake of the IAAF World Championships in London, the UK based newspaper has reported that its investigators have found out that doping products like the EPO are sold over-the-counter in Ethiopia and in a pharmacy which is located few meters away from the national stadium.The report stated that the newspaper was jointly investigating the case with the Germany broadcaster ARD and a Holland Media Combination while discovering drugs like the EPO (Erythropoietin) is easily accessible in Pharmacies across Ethiopia, specifically pointing out Gishen Pharmacy to be the main culprit.The report also further explained that a very successful Ethiopian athlete is also caught on undercover camera, seeking a doping product and admitted to having taken the performance-enhancing drugs before claiming one of her biggest titles.Furthermore, the report singled out Gishen Pharmacy and stated that the pharmacy is engaged in selling EPO to Ethiopian athletes without even asking prescriptions.Though the report singled out Gishen Pharmacy and claimed that the pharmacy is engaged in such transactions and selling EPO without prescription, Amakelech Lulu, GM of the pharmacy downplayed the allegations and told Ethiopian journalists in a press conference that was held at Monarch Hotel earlier this week that, “EPO is the only enzyme that can be used to regulate blood cells and cannot be sold without a prescription.”She further explained: “The drug is applied to treat patients with kidney disease and those who receive treatment for various kinds of cancers. Patients can access it if they can produce a prescription from a doctor”She also added that “the drug is registered and licensed in Ethiopia under the Food and Drug Administration and Control Authority and the Ministry of Health (MoH).Amakelech also pointed out that, “more than 300 customers visit her pharmacy everyday and if our pharmacists sold EPO without prescription we will investigate and announce the findings to the public in the coming weeks”.Similarly, President of the EAF, Haile Gebresilassie told The Reporter, “It’s defamation on team Ethiopia, and the report mainly focuses on destroying the moral of Ethiopian athletes who are competing currently in IAAF World Championship”. “Why is the report coming out now at this crucial time while Ethiopian athletes are competing at the London IAAF Championship, if the investigation was conducted three months ago,” asks the Ethiopian Athletics federation president questioning the intent of the report.

Posted by: ecadforum August 4, 2017Guardian investigation shows how easy it is to obtain doping products, uncovers disorganisation at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency and catches leading athlete admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugsThe Guardian was able to purchase EPO at this chemist close to the national stadium in Addis Ababa. No questions were asked. Photograph: ARD(The Guardian) — Inside Ethiopia’s flagship stadium, the bleachers are painted the green, yellow and red of the flag. The country’s best athletes have converged in Addis Ababa for the national championships while the great and good of Ethiopian sport gather trackside in matching beige suits and white baseball caps.Haile Gebrselassie is among them, handing out medals in his capacity as the president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation. He receives a louder cheer than anyone when introduced by the stadium announcer. Two Olympic and four world 10,000m titles mark him out as one of the greatest distance runners of all time and the most famous man in Ethiopia, where athletics is the national sport. His reputation has helped build an enviable property and business portfolio, making him a wealthy man.At one end of the stadium a billboard pictures other distance running greats Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba and Almaz Ayana, whose extraordinary 10,000m world record at the Rio Olympics last summer was greeted with disbelief in some quarters. Beneath them, in bold writing, is the statement: “It is possible to be the best without doping.”However a joint investigation by the Guardian, the German broadcaster ARD and Holland Media Combination suggests that may not be true in every case. It shows how easy it is to obtain doping products in the country and there emerges a prevailing sense of disorganisation at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency, which is charged with testing athletes. A hugely successful Ethiopian athlete is also caught on undercover film, seeking a new doping programme and admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugs before claiming one of her biggest titles.The findings may raise concern for British Athletics, which holds annual high-altitude training camps in Ethiopia for top athletes, including Mo Farah, who is attempting to do the distance double for a third time at the world championships in London, which begin on Friday.Outside the national stadium, two girls sell cobs of corn and coffee beans from colourful mats on the ground. But during the week of the Ethiopian championships, the blood-boosting drug EPO could be bought freely from a pharmacy just over the road. It is a popular drug, particularly among athletes and cyclists looking to gain an illegal edge by enhancing their endurance levels.A sign for the Gishen pharmacy is broken at one edge but potted plants decorate the doorway and it is clean inside. First, a reporter from the Guardian asks for something to treat anaemia, suggesting EPO as a possible medicine. A female pharmacist disappears into a back room briefly and delves into a fridge, returning with a cardboard box filled with dozens of phials of EPO stacked one on top of the other. She asks nonchalantly how many are required and three were bought for 810 Ethiopian birr (around £26) in cash.The same reporter returned a second time only 13 minutes later, buying a further two phials of EPO, a toothbrush and a tube of mosquito repellent from a different pharmacist. A different reporter then entered the pharmacy and bought four phials of EPO from a third person. A male pharmacist admitted he knew of the performance-enhancing benefits of EPO and had sold it to athletes. “Sometimes, yes,” he giggled.

እሰፋ ማሩ wrote:ከወያኔው ስፖርት ፌደሬሽን ባልራቀ ስፍራ ያለ መድሃኒት ቤት ሃይል ሰጭ በግላጭ ሲቸበችብ እንደነበር ተዘገበ፡፡Posted by: ecadforum August 4, 2017Guardian investigation shows how easy it is to obtain doping products, uncovers disorganisation at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency and catches leading athlete admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugsThe Guardian was able to purchase EPO at this chemist close to the national stadium in Addis Ababa. No questions were asked. Photograph: ARD(The Guardian) — Inside Ethiopia’s flagship stadium, the bleachers are painted the green, yellow and red of the flag. The country’s best athletes have converged in Addis Ababa for the national championships while the great and good of Ethiopian sport gather trackside in matching beige suits and white baseball caps.Haile Gebrselassie is among them, handing out medals in his capacity as the president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation. He receives a louder cheer than anyone when introduced by the stadium announcer. Two Olympic and four world 10,000m titles mark him out as one of the greatest distance runners of all time and the most famous man in Ethiopia, where athletics is the national sport. His reputation has helped build an enviable property and business portfolio, making him a wealthy man.At one end of the stadium a billboard pictures other distance running greats Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba and Almaz Ayana, whose extraordinary 10,000m world record at the Rio Olympics last summer was greeted with disbelief in some quarters. Beneath them, in bold writing, is the statement: “It is possible to be the best without doping.”However a joint investigation by the Guardian, the German broadcaster ARD and Holland Media Combination suggests that may not be true in every case. It shows how easy it is to obtain doping products in the country and there emerges a prevailing sense of disorganisation at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency, which is charged with testing athletes. A hugely successful Ethiopian athlete is also caught on undercover film, seeking a new doping programme and admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugs before claiming one of her biggest titles.The findings may raise concern for British Athletics, which holds annual high-altitude training camps in Ethiopia for top athletes, including Mo Farah, who is attempting to do the distance double for a third time at the world championships in London, which begin on Friday.Outside the national stadium, two girls sell cobs of corn and coffee beans from colourful mats on the ground. But during the week of the Ethiopian championships, the blood-boosting drug EPO could be bought freely from a pharmacy just over the road. It is a popular drug, particularly among athletes and cyclists looking to gain an illegal edge by enhancing their endurance levels.A sign for the Gishen pharmacy is broken at one edge but potted plants decorate the doorway and it is clean inside. First, a reporter from the Guardian asks for something to treat anaemia, suggesting EPO as a possible medicine. A female pharmacist disappears into a back room briefly and delves into a fridge, returning with a cardboard box filled with dozens of phials of EPO stacked one on top of the other. She asks nonchalantly how many are required and three were bought for 810 Ethiopian birr (around £26) in cash.The same reporter returned a second time only 13 minutes later, buying a further two phials of EPO, a toothbrush and a tube of mosquito repellent from a different pharmacist. A different reporter then entered the pharmacy and bought four phials of EPO from a third person. A male pharmacist admitted he knew of the performance-enhancing benefits of EPO and had sold it to athletes. “Sometimes, yes,” he giggled.